My name is Norman Walmsley and lived in Culcheth all my young and teenage years,I have an older brother Fred who now lives in Germany We to Culcheth in April 1939 as my Dad was the engineer at the Cottage Homes in Twist Green Lane,our first home was a cottage in Common Lane opposite the mill and then we moved to Beech Avenue ,unlucky for me there were no boys in the Avenue at that time,the three girls I remember mostly were Gertrude Andrews ,Laura Clark and Eleanor Andrews,it would be nice if anyone could let me know how they are.The gang we knocked about with was Kenny Sutton who now lives in Canada and we are in touch with each other ,John Bailey who is also in Canada,Bobby Clark,Ronnie Green,Jimmy Sutton,Brian and Kevin Ogden and lateron the Hope brothers who lived in Beech Avenue as well.I now live in Farnham Surrey a long story how i got here by the way I had a nickname (Nosh).

Hi Norman. My grandfather was Stanley Clifford Sutton known as Cliff. He was raised on Withington Avenue and had sisters Florrie and Della. The jimmy Sutton you mention is my Grandfather's nephew. He is 80 now and lives in Wirral. He too has tried recently to contact people from his youth in Culcheth. He also has mentioned The Andrews sisters. I also know Ronnie Green's sister Elsie. I arranged for Elsie to meet up with Jimmy Sutton at Croft Carnival last July. It was lovely to hear them reminisce about Culcheth. Ronnie passed away many years ago, and Bob Clarke sadly last year. I will contact Jimmy tomorrow and ask if he remembers you. I can send you his email address if he's happy for me to pass it on. Best wishes, Naomi.

Hi Naomi.I do remember your grandfather in Withington Avenue living with Jimmy,s Nanna ,he was a likable rummon as they say .I am pretty sure Jimmy will remember me as we were mates for years,his nickname by the way was Nanna as he was always round at her house,so sorry to hear the passing of Ronnie Green and Bobby Clarke,two good lads Remembered Elsie Green very well she tried to teach meto dance with not much success,she also took Ronnie and I to Butlins at Filey for a week.Could recall a lot more but at a later day,you could tell Jimmy I am in weekly touch with Kenny Sutton in Canada.Best wishes Norman (Nosh).

Hi Beechboy, Nice to finally be in touch with a former playmate.As Naomi, states I have been trying for some time to get in touch with old friends at Culcheth. I am now retired and living alone in a flat on the Wirral, having been married and divorced twice. A brief resume of my working life, I joined the Royal Navy at 16 years and was demobbed after 12 years, on leaving the navy I joined the police served my time and left as a sergeant. I remember all the boys and girls you mention and would love to have contact with Kenny Sutton,I used to live next door but one to him. If you would like to phone me: Mob. No. (please use PM, anyone can get your number). I do hope we can keep in touch. All the Best Jimmy Sutton {NANA ONE}.

Hi Norman, lovely to hear back from you. You are right about my Grandad Cliff, everyone who remembers him always tells me he was a rumman! Sadly he died when I was only 8 so my memory of him is limited. But I have all his old photos which I inherited when my Mum, Cliff's daughter died in 1999. I spoke to Jimmy Sutton tonight and he was thrilled that both you and Ken Sutton have posted on here. He's joined the website too and you should both have a reply from him soon. I reside in Culcheth and run a toy and bookshop here at CPS, which was built by Billy Nelson on the site of Sundial House. Don't know if you recall that? Have a look at www.cpscentre.co.ukI love chatting to Jimmy about Culcheth and I took him on a tour a while ago. The rhododendron bushes you all talk about playing in are still there!Don't know if you knew but the Culcheth High School was knocked down last year? I went there too. There was a school reunion for all past pupils which I went to. Jimmy went during the day but sadly didn't bump into any of his old school pals. A new high school has been built on the playing fields. Was very sad to see the old one go, especially the original building.Do you remember Lucy Austin? She still lives in Withington Avenue. Also Cliff Mort? He was my Grandad Cliff's best friend who lived on Warrington Road. Cliff morts wife still lives there.Elsie Green is best friends with my husband's Auntie Dorothy Dodd. I will let Elsie know of your post on this site.Take care, Naomi

I have removed your phone number, post a few more times & I will approve your posts, you can then PM your number, much safer, If you really want your name & number for all to see I won't remove it again but I do worry about the not so nice folk out there.

Hi NaomiNice to hear from you again and that you have spoken to Jimmy ,he has already written a message to me but as a silver surfer i am quite slow on this contraption,you will have seen Kenny Sutton as as registered so look out for him,Jimmy wont know what as hit him when he sees his old mates writing to him.Kenny told me about the old school going ,very sad as we all went there as infants and on to the seniors and left at 14 years old,except Kenny and John Bailey they went on to Leigh Grammar ,by the way the Head teachers were Mrs Preston (juniors) and Mr Smith who lived in a flat roof house in Twist Green Lane at the Wigshaw Lane end.That is all for now except to say J B went to Leigh Tech and not the Grammar.Norman (Nosh).

You mentioned what a good dancer Elsie Green was and her trying to teach you to dance and my heart goes out to her! She mustn't have watched you play soccer, with your 2 left feet, or she would have run for the hills! I remember fondly, having the chance to do a foxtrot or quickstep with her at the Tuesday evening hops at Newchurch Hall, where we danced, on aternating weeks, to the bands of Harry Jarman and Wilf Rigby. Jarman was middle of the road but Rigby played all the Big Band stuff, note for note with the originals, even the solos. I think admittance was about a bob. (Wow! I haven't used "bob" or "one and a tanner" snce I came to Canada! People would have looked at me funny, if I did!).

Hi NaomiCould you tell me if the row of shops are still standing in Common lane,they were facing the terraced houses that belonged to the mill,the first shop was the CO-OP grocery shop next to the entrance to Sammy Southerns farm and the end one was the butchers Fred Seddon who also had a shop in Glazebury on Warrington Road just passed the church ,and still on Common Lane is Sammy Southerns farm house still there and next to farm house was the white telephone exchange facing the Bricklayers Arms (Cherry Tree now i believe).Reading some of the notices it sounds you are moving your business,so good luck and will understand if you are to busy to reply for a while ,Give Jimmy my regards and will be in touch soon.Norman(Nosh).

Hi Beechboy, If you look on Google Maps at the street view of Culcheth you can take a walk along Common Lane and see what it all looks like now. The buildings are still standing but the farm has been knocked down many years ago. I used to live in the terraced houses on Common lane and play over at the farm.

Hi Naomi.Thank you for replying to my questions about Common Lane and sad to see the farmhouse as gone ,spent many happy hours playing there with the farmers youngest son Gerry,the eldest boy (young man) Frank was the mobile Co-op butcher that went round the village ,the other mobile was the fruit and veg man with his horse and cart,I think his name was Reuben Parker but not sure about the surname,perhaps someone can put me right.Back to Common lane how strange it was for me to mention the the old telephone exchange and you moving in with your business ,once again good luck ,It would be nice to see the picture the right way up and not having to stand on my head as it plays havoc my hair,and thank Lioness for her reply .I have had a look on the Google map and got a picture at the top end from the old mill passed Twist Green Lane towards Kenyon so will try again for the Warrington Road end.You mentioned the terraced houses the the shops in Common Lane and I can remember the men from those houses playing bowls on the big green lawn at the back of them.Norman.

Previously I have mentioned the people that went round the village either with a van or horse and cart selling there goods,but as well as these we had quite a few shops also,our nearest shop in our area was a wooden building on Warrington Rd in fact facing mujac house and backing on to the field we called the Common which became HMS Ariel West ,it was owned and run by two sisters Janet and Bella Bonthron,lovely people,they lived in Withington Av.the next similar shop was on the corner of Warrington Rd and Common Lane was Ben Weirs and further up CLane was a cake and bread shop owned by Mr Unsworth and still further up which I have mentioned before was the Co-op grocers which we were registered with for our rations during the war also Seddons the butchers which again we were registered with and not forgetting Mr Berry at the post Office on the corner of C Lane and Wigshaw lane he was also the village barber ,but our favourite place was Leah Ashtons chip shop in Church Lane many happy hours spent in there queuing for chips and scratchings (could not afford fish),she use to rule the shop witha rod of iron as they say,one bit of noise you were put to the back of the queue,needless to say that's where I usually ended up.

Hi Beechboy, just to let you know how things are now in the village: Janet Bonthrams shop was knocked down and replaced with a monstrous building containing an Indian restaurant, Ben Weirs is now a bank after being knocked down. The cake shop which later became May Cleworths is now the CPS shopping centre, the co-op is now an Italian restaurant and Seddons butchers is another Indian eatery. The wooden hut chippy is still there but is now an Indian take-away.

Hi Local lass.Thanks for your reply to my letter regarding all the shops that we had in the village ,I was quite surprised to find out what had happened to them and in a way quite saddened by this outcome,in a small way they were the heart of the village,but it is the way of life now but I have still got my memories,thanks again .